Grain-scourer.



No. 696,577. Patented Apr. I, |902.

' W. LEE.

GRAIN SCOURER.

(Application filed Sept. 1.1,'1901.)

(No Modem wif@ UrviTnn STaTies PATTLNT Trice.

lVORTIlY LEE, OF BLUEHILL, NEBRASKA.

eaaiascoussa.-

SEEGEFIGATION forming part oi' Letters latent No. 696,577, dated Aprill, 19021.

Application lcd September l1, 1901. Serial No. 75.030. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom, t nto/y concern:

Be it known that l, WORTHY LEE, a citizen of the United States, residingat Bluehill, in the county of Webster and State oi Nebraska, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Grain-Scourers, of which thefollowing is a specication.

This invention relates to a grain-scouring machine of that type in whichpairs of coperatiug rotary and stationary rubbing devices or disks arearranged in a perforated cylinder and act successively on the grain forremovingtheimpuritiesand polishingthe grain.

The object of my invention is to produce a machine of this generalcharacter, but having rubbing devices of a novel construction,especially adapting the machine for detaching and removing withoutinjury to the grain the outermost layer or portion of the bran, which isknown as bees wing.7 rlhis outer portion of the bran Vis very thin andbrittle and becomes finely pulverized in reducing the grain, producingtine particles or specks which it is very difficult to separate from theiour.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectionalelevation of a grainscouring machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is across-section in line 2 2, Fig. l, looking forward. Fig. is across-section in line 3 3, Fig. l, looking rearward. Fig. t is across-section in line 2 2, Fig. l, looking rearward. Fig. 5 is across-section inline 5 5, Fig. l, looking rearward. Fig. G is ahorizontal sectional elevation showing a slightly-modiiied constructionof the machine.

Like letters of reference refer lo like parts in the several iigures.

A represents the perforated scouring case or cylinder, which is arrangedhorizontally and provided at its front end with a feedspout cy and atits rear end with a dischargespout l).

C represents the stationary rubbing partitions or disks', and D thecoacting rotary rubbing and propelling devices, of which there is onearranged in front ot each stationary partition or disk.

E represents the horizontal shaft which carries the rotary scouring andpropelling devices and which is journal'ed in bearings ff on the mainframe F and is driven by a pulley f2 or other suitable means.

A suitable number of pairs of stationary and rotary scouring devices isarranged in the cylinder, one pair behind the other, as the character ofthe work or the nature of the grain may require. The stationarypartitions or disks have concave faces c, which are turned toward thehead of the cylinder, and the rotary devices D have corresponding convexfaces, which are turned rearwardly toward the concave faces ot thestationary partitions. Each of the latter is provided with acomparatively small central dischargeopening c', through which the shaftE passes and which is somewhat larger than the shaft. The frontstationary partition or disk is located near the feed end of thecylinder, and the last is preferably so arranged that its centralopening discharges directly into the discharge-spout b.

Each rotary scouring and propelling device is composed of an annularseries of radial wings or blades g, which are secured obliquely to a hubg, mounted on the shaft E. Each wing has a convex rear edge g2 of aboutthe same curvature as the concave 'face of the scouring bowl orpartition and projects with its rear portion into the concave face. Theface or front side g3 of each wing, which side faces the direction inwhich the wing rotates, is preferably concave, and the front edge g4 ofeach wing is preferably straight.

H indicates intermediate propellers or conveyers, one ot' which issecured on the shaft E between each stationary bowl or disk C and thenext rotary scouring and propelling de-v v ice D. These propellers haveradial inclined wings, such as shown, and move the grain from the rearof each stationary disk toward the next rotary scouring device, so as tobc acted upon by the latter.

The wings or blades g of the rotary scouring and propelling device areseparated from each other, so that ow passages or spaces are formedbetween the wings, which passages or spaces extend from the front to therear edges of the wings. The grain is forced bythe action of the wingsthrough these passages or spaces and is crowded into the scouring-bowland swept around in the latter until the grain is iinally forced throughthe central outlet of the bowl. These outlets are so small coinparedwith the diameter of the bowl that a IOO considerable pressure iscreated upon the grain in forcing the latter toward and through eachoutlet, such pressure causing an effective attrition action ot thekernels against each other. Wvhen the grain requires a more severerubbing action in order to completely remove the outer layer of thebran, the convex face of the stationary disk or partition is milled orroughened, as indicated in Fig. 6; but this is not ordinarily necessary.

In the operation of the machine the cylinder is kept filled with grain,as the discharge of the grain from the several partitions takes place byreason of the pressure which is exerted upon the accumulated grain. Therotary wings sweep the grain around and at the same time exert apowerful pressure upon the grain, by which the latter is forced againstthe stationary partitionsand through the central discharge-openingsthereof. This pressure causes an attrition action between the kernelsand also a rolling action as the grain is swept around, whereby theoutermost layer ofthe bran is Worked oft. treatment the kernels are notonly freed from impurities, but also deprived of the thinoutcrmostlayerot the bran, usually called bees wing. This outermostlayer is very thin and brittle and in reducing the grain produces finespecks, which lower the grade ofthe tiou r and are very diiiicult toseparate from the Aflour or Hour-producing parts of the grain by theusual treatment.

In operating upon certain kinds of grain the intermediate propellers orconveyers I-I can be omitted and the stationary bowls or partitionsarranged more closely together, so that the grain passes directly fromone partition to the rotary propelling and scouring device D ot' thenext partition. This construction ot' the machine is shown in Fig. 6.

The fine detached material escapes thro ugh the perforations of thescouring-case and is collected or disposed of in any suitable andWell-known manner. terial which escapes with the grain into thetail-spout b is separated from the grain in any suitable manner-forinstance, by an air- As the result ofthe The tine detached maseparator,such as is shown in the drawings, and Which consists of a wind-trunk J,into which the material is discharged from the tail-spout and Whichleads to the eye of a fancase K. This Wind-trunk is provided With theusual chess-hopper or trapj` for intercepting the heavier grade ofmaterial which is carried off by the air current.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of a horizontalscouring-case, a stationary partition arranged therein and having aconcave face and a central discharge-opening, and a rotary scouring andpropelling device which projects into the concave face of the partitionand which is composed of an annular series of radial, inclined wingsWhich face with their rear edges the concave face of the partition andwhich are separated by How-passages extending between the Wings from thefront edges to the rear edges thereof, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a scouringcase, of a stationary partition arrangedtherein and having a central discharge-opening and a concave face, arotary scouring and propelling device projecting into the concave faceof said partition and provided with an annular series of radial inclinedWings having the edges facing the partition ot' substantially the samecurvature as the concave face of the same, substantially as set forth.

3./ The combination with a scouring-case, of successive pairs ofstationary partitions and coacting rotary scouring and propellingdevices, said stationary partitions having concav'e faces and centraldischarge-openings, and said rotary scouring and propelling deviceshaving inclined wings, and a propeller arranged between each partitionand the nextfollowing rotary scouring and propellingdevice,substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 19th day of August, 1901.

VVORTHY LEE.

NVitnesses:

WM. A. GARRisoN, A. Snnosnnnn.

